An Oasis Getaway

Shema woke up after another regular night of sleep. She opened her eyes and her first instinct was to stretch out, it had always been the best way to get started for the morning. Turning to the right, she found her husbands' back. Shameen had always had a bigger difficulty waking up, so she proceeded with her usual ritual of shaking him a little bit to help. The early rumble of the streets was enough to wake her up, but not for him. She knew that.

"Morning dear, time to wake up," she murmured sweetly while shaking him tenderly. He mumbled in response. No intelligible words, but she knew it was supposed to mean a mixture of a "good morning", a "yes, dear" and an "I'll get up soon". Her time together with him gave her that knowledge, and the morning routine had already settled into this common interaction.

She got up and walked towards their chamber pot. While she prepared for the day and cleaned up, he would still lay in bed a bit more. Every single morning, while going through the lengthy setup of waking up, stretching, cleaning up, dressing, grooming her coat, and adorning herself with jewelry, she would ask herself why he wouldn't get up and go through that routine with her. It would be nice to spend this bit of intimate time with him, even if it was just a daily exercise. After all, she enjoyed the company of her husband, and she was sure he felt the same. But he was lazier than her. After all, if she could wake up this early after a night of traveling, he could surely wake up after a good night's sleep.

The memories of last night came back to her. Yet another one of those instances where the regular duties took her away for some time from her husband. She rented a Saurian so she could travel to Amasit and trade for saffron. For this trip, she had explicitly asked for his company. On many other occasions, we would request for him to go on her behalf. The roads could be dangerous, or at least she thought. Having him around would make a huge difference. Even if it didn't, at least it would make her feel more secure. Regardless, she knew that at least he cared.

She stopped her course of thought at that point. She didn't need to request actions from Shameen so he could prove he cared for her. She knew he cared. She sighed, letting the thoughts go away. Time to face the day.

"I'll see you downstairs", she announced to him and then blew a kiss. He mumbled something back, moving a bit more in bed. She went through the door. The day had officially started.

? ?

Going downstairs, some of her staff would be already waiting for her. Some of them had responsibilities that required preparation even before sunrise, and they would be equipped to give her a quick report and wait for orders that would coordinate their activities.

The crew, a mixture of humans and Kattas, were glad to work under Shema's leadership. She was very understanding and considerate to their needs and treated them more rather like a big family than servants. While this was the custom in Katta communities, Shema had a special appeal and friendliness that made them feel more secure. While she never had any kids, some of the youngest ones would feel a special maternal connection to her, who provided them with a roof over their heads, food on their plate, only in exchange for help running the inn.

The tasks needed to run the inn were not small efforts either. The inn was not merely a hotel with a bunch of beds for travelers to sleep, but they would pride themselves on the experience they would provide to their patrons. Cooking, entertainment, and personal attention were all goals that required a huge amount of energy, and no single person could do it all.

However, it was common to hear Shema's name being requested for almost every single activity. She was the more experienced member of the staff, which is to be expected from the owner. Still, the strive for perfection required that everyone checked with her. From traveler accommodation to cleaning, cooking, inventing recipes, contracting work, and even the entertainment involved her at some point.

Entertainment, mainly. It has the one spot that involved her intimately. Twice a week she would perform a traditional Katta dance for the customers, a dance that was a piece she'd been perfecting for several years, and felt very proud of her results. She had reasons to feel that way since sometimes travelers would choose their inn purely for the exhibition she would put together. The jig itself had a mixture of traditional Katta dances, music, and poetry, with a special seductive twist she invented on her own. It wasn't sexual, but it did bring sensual attention, even attraction, from customers that would sometimes pay extra for sitting closer to the stage. Humans particularly, who would misinterpret some natural Katta actions for flirty behavior, would enjoy the sight of Shema dancing.

Shema herself was proud of her movements and her body. She was aware of her attractive figure, and the feelings she would arise on spectators. She had her quota of enjoyment too. It was natural, after all. Being desired by so many eyes, lusting over her, and following every movement. Knowing she'd hide and show as much as she wanted, with eyes desiring her while she had control of those passions, was a turn on. Even sometimes, she would finish her dancing so riled up that she would "steal" Shameen for a private session ending in private passionate lovemaking.

Ultimately, that hadn't been the case. Running an inn was draining, and as much as she enjoyed dancing and the attention, she wasn't a 20-year old youngling anymore. Sometimes, the end of the day just called for some platonic cuddling and resting with her husband. Usually, she'd have that opportunity, but other times she'd oblige to his desires. She didn't mind, after all. She appreciated him being attracted to her. However, she had been particularly tired lately, and Shameen didn't seem to fully recognize that.

Speaking of Shameen, where was he? As Shema finished giving instructions to the staff, she kept looking around for his presence. He could likely help in checking the finances at the beginning of the day. He was the one to keep close track of all of that. Contractual workers were already starting to arrive, and while Shema could keep track of short term purchases and needs, Shameen was the one to approve long term work engagement. She eventually spotted him and approached.

"Hi dear, I'm glad to see you out of bed.", she said sweetly. The pacing of her words made it clear that she was going to continue with a request.

"Yeah, me too", he said, unsure of what he was answering exactly.

"I'm already overloaded with work. Part of our spices got lost with last night's wind and I need to re-arrange the recipes so we can use what we have left appropriately. Can you please check on the workers and direct them to their tasks?"

"Yeah, I... I think so."

Shema was not subtle at hiding unpleasant feelings. She sighed grumpily, slightly disappointed.

"Shameen, please. I could really use your help."

"Sure. I'd be glad to help. It's just that...", it was bad timing, but he couldn't avoid being interrupted by the need to yawn. After letting his yawn go, he resumed "It's just that you usually keep track of the work itself. I just work on financing. You have more detail on what they should be doing."

"Please... please...", she begged, visibly distressed.

Shameen had seen this before. It wasn't nice that she felt on the verge of a breakdown, especially not so early in the morning. She was very strong and could bear a lot of pressure, but also tended to bottle up problems for the sake of pushing forward. Yet, sometimes, she needed an outlet, and historically, her breakdowns were very emotional and depressing. Of course, he had wanted to prevent those commotions. Not only for the sake of the inn's reputation but also just because he didn't enjoy a single bit of seeing her like that.

In the past, he had suggested that some problems could be solved quickly, but minimizing these issues only had seemed to infuriate her even more. This was a no-go.

He also had offered to help some more, but most of his time was dedicated to finding business opportunities. This required a lot of time flexibility, talking with visitors, customers, and friends, and traveling himself. While true at heart, his previous attempts didn't quite help Shema as much as she expected, and she was left disappointed. This didn't seem like a good idea after all.

Another proposition had been to take a shopping-trip. Shema enjoyed those and they did help her relax. However, in her mind, she justified the effort and the monetary spending with the trips being work-related. After all, she did use most of her jewelry when dancing and impressing clients, so these suggestions ended up being understood as yet another task to take care of. Nope, not a good idea.

He had also suggested that she should rest, and once or twice she had done this, only to come back to work within the hour. Being too close to the inn immediately allowed everyone to reach out to her, and for her to keep working without really taking time off.

That was it!

"Hey, hey, don't stress. It's ok.", he started, with renewed energies that a new idea sparked into him. "I'll go check on the workers and you can deal with the kitchen stuff. And then we'll take a vacation."

"A... vacation?" Shema was confused. She understood the words, but couldn't possibly picture how the idea was possible. There was too much to look after, too many people to account for. After all, they were owners of an inn! It's not like they could just stop working... but Shameen was not one to deliver dumb ideas. It was usually good advice that came out of his mouth, and everything he had done, successful or not, was for the benefit of both of them. What was his plan?

"Yes. A vacation. You and me. Some time off, away from here. I'll tell you more later. We can focus on fixing today's duties for now." He smiled at her, a smile of a newfound solution to an old problem.

"Thank you, dear." Her stress dissipated, now curiosity enveloped her. She planted a quick kiss on his lips and started her way towards the kitchen, to address the spice issue. But the vacation word was resounding in her head. Had Shameen been planning it for a long time? What about the inn? Who would take care of it? The thought of the question brought a small rush of stress into her. Who would be able to take care of everything as she did? Who was trustworthy enough? Would they just close? What about the lost business? What about the current customers staying in? Maybe his plan was for a long-term future? Was this a surprise he had been hiding from her?

She smiled at the thought of Shameen planning a surprise for her. He used to have these nice out-of-the-blue details. He was attentive, in his own way, and she loved it.

She arrived at the kitchen. "Let's focus", she repeated mentally to herself. "But a vacation would be nice", her own mind echoed back.

? ?

Shameen was full of energy now. The adrenaline of avoiding a Shema-saster was too exhilarating. He laughed silently at himself. He loved the little wordplay he came up with to describe these situations. He was proud of it enough to use it as a name for these fits of stress, but not enough to say it out loud. As funny as he found it, he knew Shema would not like it one bit, and he knew why. She couldn't help feeling like that.

He acknowledged that a lot of the work at the inn was centered around her. And he legitimately wanted to help, it's just that he had another set of tasks. His constant chit-chatter with travelers provided him with knowledge about surrounding areas and market tendencies. This was enough for him to know what investments here and there could result in huge opportunities. And so he had embarked on journeys now and then, to bring extra profits and further business engagements.

Most of these negotiations had been successful, but not with the level of success that he desired. He needed a steady income-producing opportunity that he could use to afford two or three full-time specialists. With them, he could replace Shema's daily operations. She could then move to be a manager and not another run-of-the-mill employee. She could still work if she wanted to, but wouldn't need to -- and this is where he believed this plan was the solution to their problems. This, in turn, meant that they would have enough time to start another inn, or maybe an unrelated trade, completely. He was just looking forward to that special engagement that would give them financial freedom, and the chance to become big investors.

He stopped the thought in its tracks. Shema would never agree to that, she loved being a part of the day to day of the inn... but nothing prevented him from making the shift while still being a part of his wife's life. He was sure there was a middle ground to be found, he just needed to think about it some more.

Now he needed to think about this vacation that he proposed. He was a quick thinker, so he could surely come up with a plan on the spot if Shema asked, but details would be cumbersome to explain. It was better to plan a bit more before explaining it to her. He had some time.

Now, it was time to deal with the workers. What is it exactly they needed? Maybe they knew. Ah, perfect! That's the clue to the problem. He'd ask them what they needed to do, so they would explain the tasks. Then he'd give orders to them repeating those same tasks with slightly different words, and checking with them if the payment they got was enough. Problem solved, he was going to act as chief without the need to know what they required. He congratulated himself.

? ?

The golden rays of the afternoon were starting to dim, as it did every day. So happened with the daily activities at the inn. Shema had come and gone, helping with different aspects of the customer experience, while Shameen kept talking to visitors, learning new things about the world beyond their walls.

At this time, there wasn't that much more to do. After the rush of the dinner cooking had settled, entertainment had been already planned and bedrooms were ready for travelers to use.

Shameen approached his wife, with a stance that betrayed his usual attitude. He was hard to read, and so, has usually been a good negotiator. But when it was related to Shema, he used to be more transparent. This time, he was clearly excited to tell her what he had come up with.

"How's it going, dear?", he asked, sitting next to her and watching the stage that was being prepared for the show.

"Fine, all is set and ready to go. Today Kitarra is the entertainer, she will play some music from... I forget. Somewhere far away. And dinner is ready to be served. How are you?", she asked, placing an arm around his waist.

"Great. In fact, you'll be glad to know I got us a free stay at an inn in Marab. The oasis, remember? Only a few hours away. Would you like that as a getaway?", he grinned as he asked.

The excitement was visible on her face. She had been fantasizing about a romantic getaway like that for a while. "I'd really like that, but how would we leave? I mean, who would take care of the inn?"

He chuckled similar to how he would when showing his winning hand at a card game. "Nobody."

"Nobody? How?", she inquired. She remembered that Shameen was not one to make impulsive unfounded decisions. It was usually wise to listen.

"Nobody new. Our staff is knowledgeable enough. Sure, there are times where some guidance gives them the extra push they need, but they can manage without us.", he relaxed a bit as he explained. This was him showing his card play. "You see, I've been talking to a lot of them today. Most of the problems that they've been asking about lately were already solved, they just wanted your approval. They could have done it on their own, they just wanted your blessing."

"Am I... not useful?", her face performed a strange twist. This was the solution to her problem but, did it imply her efforts were in vain?

"No. I mean yes. Yes, you are.", Shameen lost his cool for a bit. He did not anticipate an emotional response like this. Think fast. "You see, you have been directing them for a long time, and that training has been fruitful. They still look up to you and they work under your guidance, but for small issues, they can handle themselves. They couldn't run the inn on their own without your help, but one day or two, they can manage."

"I see. I'm glad they think that highly of me." Shema relaxed her stance, and with it, the grip she had started around Shamen's hip.

"Of course. You're like a mother to them." Shameen felt a small, almost imperceptible tug on his waist from Shema's hand. Those were powerful words. They had been looking to be parents for a while without success, so thinking of their friends at the inn as an adoptive family that looks up to them was a big deal. It wasn't the first time Shameen had pointed this out, but it always had the same effect on Shema. She liked it, and if he didn't press the matter further, it wouldn't turn into a sour feeling. He continued to avoid that risk. "So I was thinking that we could just go away one day and spend it for ourselves. I already have a destination and an inn, so we can be guests instead of hosts."

"That sounds nice. Would we be able to afford it?" Shema's eyes were starting to glare at this opportunity.

"I told you, I got it all set up already. You'll see. We'll leave tomorrow, we--"

"Tomorrow?", the concern was noticeable in her voice. She barely managed to keep a low tone to not bother other customers. "Tomorrow as in... tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow. The staff is ready. The show for tomorrow night is already scheduled and your next dance is not scheduled until another day over. You already fixed the menus and recipes for the rest of the week. The cleaning will be done as usual. We can disappear for a day and everything will be fine."

"Huh, when you say it like that...", Shema calmed down, her gaze was blank thinking into how much Shameen had managed to organize from their routine. Apparently, he had been attentive to all of it? It certainly seemed like that was the case.

"We can leave tomorrow at the break of dawn and we'll arrive at the Oasis-Side Splendor before the sun is highest. We can rest, refresh ourselves. They'll have food ready, refreshing activities, and a show of their own at night. We can watch it all without organizing anything. If you feel like it, we can visit the town's market and see if something interests you. They speak of wonderful antique shops with unique items. But don't think of it as work. It's just to enjoy ourselves. No plans."

"The Oasis-Side Splendor? Isn't that a very expensive resort? Can we actually afford it?", she asked.

The Splendor was an inn known for its luxuries and quality of food and drinks. Their financial situation could afford some indulgences, but she knew not to be careless.

"As I said, I got it for free."

"For free? What di--...", she lowered her voice into a whimsical tone, "Shameen, are you getting into any funny business again?". Shema playfully poked her finger on his nose while asking.

Shameen laughed warmly. He loved it when she was in a good mood and would talk jokingly.

"Haha, no, I swear I didn't." He grabbed her hand to avoid her poking him anymore, and with both arms softly pulled it closer to kiss it. "I've been investing with some people at Marab for a while, and I happen to know one of the owners of the Splendor. He was here yesterday, actually. And I was planning a business trip there, so he offered to let me visit anytime. He knows you usually don't come along, but he did say you were always welcome too." He poked at her nose in the same fashion as she did. "You. Dazzle. Everyone. With beauty."

Shema squealed in happy excitement, hugging him.

"Aaaah! I love you, Meen! This is going to be great!"

Her loudness caught a few gazes but most travelers already knew to keep to their own unless something was turning severe. This was not the case. Everyone looked away, their attention back to the foreign music show, while the couple slowly drifted into silence and the wandering of their next getaway.

? ?

Shema spent the rest of the evening absent-minded. As usual, she helped wrap up most of the activities at the inn, but this time her focus was on the fantasy of a romantic mini-vacation. This wasn't the first time that she could get some time away from work and alone with Shameen, and her past experience was relaxing and exhilarating at the same time. Refreshing. They had been at remote locations in oasis before, and the change of pace had first helped them relax, then get them closer together. She even got to experience a bit of innovation in their sex life. She still blushed while remembering the risk of public exposure, while Shameen would take the lead and proceed to enter her, even on her butt. She shook her head at the thought; she shouldn't get ahead of herself. But it certainly would be wonderful if they could get as much excitement as they did last time. Furthermore, such an experience brought them closer together, and for that, she was forever grateful.

Making the last stretch at focusing on the daily activities, she explained to the inn's staff that she would be absent for the next day. They acknowledged it since Shameen had anticipated that to them. When inquired about her reasons to leave, she preferred to just say that Shameen needed her company on some business he was running. Nobody used to ask about details on any of Shameen's trading or plans, so this was a good deterrent of any further questions. As for Shema, she just didn't want to explain that she hoped to get some time away. It just didn't feel like something she should be saying.

? ?

Shema woke up after another regular night of sleep. She felt physically tired but mentally ready. It was slightly earlier than she usually would wake up. Turning to her side, she was surprised that Shameen was already awake and arranging his clothes. Was he as excited as she was for this trip? He was almost ready.

"Good morning, honey", she said with a smile on her face.

"Good morning, dear", he answered, getting closer and giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I am sorry that I will need to leave you while you get ready. I will be back soon with a Saurian so we can be at our destination during the morning."

"I understand", she replied, almost in a flirty and happy tone. It was endearing to her seeing Shameen taking the lead on their plans.

She proceeded to arrange herself through her morning ritual, but this time, with renewed energy, and with the excitement of something new just about to happen. After getting ready, she walked out the door waving goodbye with her usual grace to the members of the staff she encountered. Right after leaving the place, she turned around to find Shameen on top of a big Saurian.

"Hop on", he said, giving two small pats on the reptile's big romp. These animals could be very fierce, fast, and quick to react, but Shameen knew how to handle them.

"Have you got everything ready?" she asked while approaching.

"Everything's set", he reassured her, displaying a bag of supplies, water, and some blankets for the ride. He reached down and grabbed her arm, helping her climb up.

"You seem... energized" she pointed out. She chose her words carefully. She wanted this to come off as a compliment, not a criticism.

"You know I travel a lot, but doing it with you feels special. It's going to be fun.", he gave the bridle a little swing and the Saurian started walking, quickly gaining some speed. It was early enough so not many people were on the streets yet, allowing it to move freely.

"Sometimes I travel too, for supplies. You're always welcome to come with me and we can spend some more time together", she thought this might be the chance to get him to come along. "Also, I'd feel safer if you were around. I've heard there are bandits on those roads."

"I'd love to, but you know I travel during the day, and I'm already exhausted when you need to leave on those trips. Besides, the roads to nearby villages are not _that_dangerous."

"That's fine, I understand", she buffed, abandoning that conversation. Maybe she was pushing it too far. She smiled to herself and thought that regardless of this discussion, she would focus on enjoying this time together.

? ?

Traveling by Saurian was very common around these places, but it was unusual seeing them on the road. The desert was vast and equal, mostly dunes, sand, and nothing else. As such, there weren't paths defined, as long as the general direction was correct, riders would allow their Saurians to make small corrections on their course. These reptiles would prefer to avoid the climb of dunes to preserve their energy, making new tracks every day as the wind moved the dunes in random new places.

Their strong legs made for a fast and yet smooth riding experience. Once they picked up speed, the primary concern for riders would be the wind and sand in their faces. The saddles, along with the Saurian balancing themselves, would ensure that riding them was not bumpy at all. This made Saurians especially helpful for transporting materials and merchandise, even fragile pieces of art.

While these big reptiles were warm-blooded, as opposed to their smaller counterparts, it was taxing for them to run through the desert, under the sun, for several hours. Riders had to be prepared with extra rations of water and blankets they would use to spread on top of their animals while traveling. This was the key to helping them stay cold and healthy. Doing this without stopping would also help in making trips shorter. Also, in a fun and weird way, Saurians seemed to enjoy the feeling of a wet and cold blanket on their skin, and some experienced riders even claimed this helped to bond with their Saurian. They were expensive to maintain, so in a case similar to Shameen's rented one, the owner would still request these kinds of cares. It was not a matter of bonding for them, but rather preserving the animal's health through a difficult run along the desert.

? ?

After a few hours of small chit chat and sharing duties to keep the Saurian fresh, Shameen and Shema reached Marab, a small town, seeing small houses first and then markets and then crowds. They slowed down to prevent accidents but in no time they had reached the entrance of the Oasis-Side Splendor, clearly the biggest and fanciest location in all of the village.

They unmounted the Saurian and after approaching just a bit more, a human male approximated. He claimed to be part of the staff of the Splendor, and after confirming they were going to spend the day there, he offered to take their belongings and their Saurian.

Shema seemed uneasy at first. This was a common technique for thieves to take naive traveler's belongings, but Shameen greeted the man with a warm tone. Apparently, they did know each other and Shameen didn't seem concerned at all. Has he been at the Splendor before? He did say he knew one of the owners, so this wouldn't be such a surprise. Having a businessman as a husband certainly had its perks.

They watched the man take their Saurian to a side of the inn with other animals and proceeded to walk through the entrance to be met with the renewed air of the inn.

The Oasis-Side Splendor did live up to its name. The place was big, nicely decorated, and with spacy, well-lit sections that would take customers to the different wings the location had.

"This place became famous because it was settled next to a big Oasis", Shameen explained. "They used to get so many customers that they kept growing and hogging the oasis water reservoir, and now they're unmatched. They just can't have any competition that matches their quality of accommodations." His eyes lit up when talking about great business visions like this one.

"So they're a monopoly?", Shema pointed out, less excitedly.

Shameen breathed in for a response, but he didn't deliver any. It seemed like he wanted to avoid the subject. Shema understood and she regretted making her comment. This was a sensitive discussion. She and Shameen had different beliefs about how a business should be run. She was more into the position of the daily business owner, which is the life she had been constructing for herself. He, on the other hand, had an interest in running bigger franchises and having those ideas be the business in itself. Justifying their points of view usually delved into arguing about the ethical principles for business development, which would always end in an agree-to-disagree unsavory conclusion.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant.", she murmured.

"It's ok. Don't worry. Let's enjoy our trip. Why don't you find the restaurant so we have some lunch, while I check us in?"

"Of course honey. You know I love you, right?" she gave a quick peck on his cheek and almost dancingly walked away.

"I know. I love you too," he answered quickly before she was out of his speaking range. He kept his sight on her as she drifted away, thinking that those little arguments were not a big deal. He did love her immensely and kept being mesmerized by her beauty every time that he'd look at her closely. What's better, she was already married to him and she loved him as well. He wouldn't take from her the lifestyle that she enjoyed so much, even if it wasn't completely aligned with his point of view. Even if she stressed over it every once and then, he would still find ways to make her feel happy about it.

Shameen turned around and proceeded to start talking with the staff, mentioning how he knew Krisvald, one of the owners, and asking to see him. Doing so before being assigned a room would probably ensure them better accommodation.

Krisvald was an old Katta, an experienced man at business, and a cheerful person who loved to greet and meet their patrons. Even more so could be said about his business prospects. He spotted Shameen as he was talking to the clerk and approached with a loud voice.

"Shameen, old friend! Welcome!"

? ?

Shema was not in a hurry to find the restaurant. While looking for it she would wander around the Oasis and find what other activities they had going on in there. There were a few ranges set up for teams to play sports. Then there was the oasis itself, which was big enough to look like a small-sized lake. The mixture of the desert sand and the still water did give the impression of real beaches along the ocean, something that people from around these parts might never see in their life.

Memories sprung in her, of an old-time getaway they had together, shortly after they were married and they were still discovering each other. Along with those passion escapades in the past, they had been to another small lake, where passion got the best of them and ended up being intimate on a small uncrowded corner, right near the water. It had been so intense, so romantic. She felt warm inside thinking about it, maybe even slightly aroused. They haven't had a moment as powerful as that one in a long time. Maybe this getaway could be a sequel to that? Maybe. But now, lunch.

? ?

During the day, Shameen and Shema ate and drank once and again. Every few hours they'd find that they didn't have any obligations to run the inn, and so they proceeded to indulge themselves in resting, spending time together talking about a thousand non-important subjects, laughing and enjoying each other's company. The alcohol in the fermented drinks would help them get looser when sharing ideas, creating more giggles and incoherences that just became funnier as the day passed by. Their vacationing flirting with each other was only interrupted now and then as one of them would compare the resort to their inn, and the other one would step in and point out that "we're not here to talk about work". They managed to keep each other in check and focus on relaxation, something that neither of them would be able to achieve on their own. With a more carefree stance, they were learning more and more to enjoy themselves.

The day passed by quickly and so did the evening. They had been listening to music, dancing, eating, and drinking exotic dishes and drinks. They even tried playing a few of the sports, tiring themselves out. They laughed together pointing out that they weren't energetic teenagers anymore and soothed down while resting on the beach. It had been a wonderful and eventful day, but the night was already setting in. And with it, they decided to move to their room.

The room was huge. There was a large canopy bed in the middle, decorated with fine blue-purplish fabrics that gave the impression of nobility. There was expensive artisanal decoration across the room, including vases, paintings, and luxurious furniture. There was even a small compartment, a small room with a gate to lift on the floor.

Shameen was puzzled by it. He approached slowly, curiosity getting the best of him. He lifted the gate and he saw only a very deep hole that went down into the earth. He kept inspecting it until a strong smell reached out to him. He buffed and closed it quickly, moving away.

"What's wrong?", asked Shema, watching him pull away from the room.

"It's a pit latrine.", he answered slightly embarrassed. After a few seconds, his shyness turned into the excitement of new ideas. "It's genius. Giving your guests the luxury of not having to be around their own waste. It only requires some digging and very little maintenance. Can you imagine? We could upcharge rooms with this, and..."

Shema interrupted him with a finger on his lips.

"Shameen, oh Shameen. Are you thinking about work again? Today is your day off.", she came closer and kissed him, slowly, and prolonged the kiss while caressing the sides of his face and neck.

Shameen was stunned. While she was the one to initiate their intimate encounters, this time it felt different. It wasn't because she was riled up from the alcohol -- or maybe it was? After spending the day together, this time it was... devoted, romantic desire. This was enough to get him excited as well, and he started pushing back on her kiss, making it run longer and slowly driving her to the bed. When they were close, he broke the kiss and let her fall backward grabbing the straps of her dress.

Shema fell onto the bed, not entirely unprepared, for she knew what he was planning. However, once she felt Shameen pull on her straps, which immediately came off, she found herself suddenly topless. Her breasts jiggled as she hit the sheets and the surprise, along with Shameen's smug smile, made her realize his plan was better prepared than she thought.

"Oh Shameen, you naughty Katta. Come here." She pulled him towards her, and he fell too. He left the top of her dress aside and used his arms to balance himself on top of her. She started quickly removing his silky baggy pants and the tunic covering one of his shoulders. Right after, she started pulling off her jewelry but he interrupted.

"No, wait.", he said in a hurry.

"What?"

"Leave them on. You are now scheduled to dance."

There was that smirky smile again.

She grinned too as she caught the idea. He moved backward and she also lifted herself from the bed and then pushed him into a chair nearby.

"Well then", Shema said flirtingly, "I hope the audience is ready". She kissed his bare chest, and a bit lower towards his belly. She then slowly removed his underwear leaving his member exposed. She kissed him again on his abdomen, low enough so that he'd feel the fur of her chin. Just enough so that he'd be left wanting more. She was good at teasing and she knew it.

She stood up again and started moving her hips rhythmically side to side. She didn't have any music but could dance without it, completely by heart. She felt Shameen's hand grab her waist and pull down on her robes, leaving her naked except for her jewels.

"Show me your best performance, you, famous desert rose."

"You know they are poisonous, don't you?" she asked, moving her hips lower, almost grazing his penis with her butt. She felt him squirm slightly at the touch.

"I know.", he answered with a pleasured sigh, almost a moan.

Shema lifted her arms while caressing her sides, her breasts. Without stopping the dance, slowly caressing her nipples and going upwards towards her neck and face, she kept moving gracefully while her nude figure hovered close to Shameen's nakedness. She turned around in a quick and delicate move, now facing him, without stopping her rhythmic movements. Shameen was now able to see her naked body directly in front of him. The jingling of the jewels on her arms and legs formed the music to which she moved, mesmerizing him in a way that hardly ever he had experienced.

To Shameen, this was incredibly arousing. Seeing Shema's sexy dance was something that he got to see twice a week, but it was a public show. This time, it was a private display. A naked, sexy, explicit private session. This is something nobody else would ever get to see, and this feeling of having access to Shema's beautiful curves got him harder. He felt her perfume enticing him, and her arousal became obvious to him as well, with a special smell only he recognized. He grabbed her hips and buttocks to get her closer to his face. He planted a small kiss on her navel.

"Would you drink the poison?" she asked, still dancing while he held her close. She knew he was looking directly at her lower belly and crotch, and she did not attempt to cover herself. It was exciting to build up his desire.

"Mhm", he agreed without words.

She felt how he got closer again and gave a quick lick on her bits. She gasped in surprise and excitement. She was getting wet herself, but even then she wouldn't stop the dancing. Moving lower, balancing herself with her slender flowing arms, she turned her flirty dance into a more direct lapdance, rubbing her crotch against his dick. She moved back and forth and then side to side, ensuring that not only he would feel her wetness, but the movement itself would slightly part her lips. Arousing herself more and more, feeling his dick against her clitoris was good enough, but the pleasure of his twitching on her heat was intoxicating.

This rubbing exotic dance went on for a few more minutes. Both Shema and Shameen were getting tenser on their own excitement, the anticipation of intense pleasure slowly clouding their minds. Their moaning and groaning slightly getting louder started to fill the room, accompanied by the sound of Shema's jewelry dance.

Shema felt Shameen gently pushing down on her tights, forcing her to sit down on him. She positioned herself so that his manhood would sit between her buttocks. She wrapped her arms around him and pushed her breasts close to his mouth.

"What's the matter, Meen? Are you eager?"

Shameen licked on one of her breasts.

"I want you, kitty."

Shema arranged herself right above him, grabbing his dick and positioning it between her pussy lips.

"I'm a big girl Katta.", she said, as she started slowly sitting down.

Shameen was rock hard. The feeling of Shema's pussy enveloping him, along with the feeling of being with such a lady was driving him crazy in love. He still saw Shema as she was when they had been introduced so many years ago, a shy and innocent Katta girl that was now his wife and was riding his cock after a slick pussyjob.

Shema started bouncing on Shameen, slowly at first. She grabbed his hands and directed them to her breasts, as he obliged and started playing with her nipples. She felt how aroused he was, hard and stiff inside her, as she moved and felt his girth spread her walls. She used one of her now free hands to reach her clit and massage it lightly as she kept riding him. She couldn't wait anymore, she was blissfully lost in her movements and pleasure.

Shameen reached closer, and along with Shema's movement, licked her nipples as they came close to him. He stopped quickly, as he felt his orgasm building up. It was very soon, he didn't want this to be over so fast. He grabbed her tightly from her butt and picked her up.

Shema gasped as she felt being lifted. She hugged him close to maintain balance, and even when she couldn't pump herself anymore with him, she felt aroused at his dominance display. She supported herself as he carried her over to the bed and dropped her on it softly. She moved back to give him space to climb but then felt him grabbing her feet.

Shameen pulled her legs to get her butt close to the edge of the bed, and immediately head down to lick on her pussy, at first with a long slow lick.

Shema moaned loudly and grabbed herself from the sheets. She was loving the feeling of Shameen's tongue and how he was restraining her so she couldn't escape. She moved her legs as if she wanted to pull them out, but indeed, he wouldn't let her. This only made the sensations more intense. She grabbed tighter to the sheets and made sure that he could hear her pleasure.

Shameen kept licking. Her scent, her taste, her warm juices, and her sensual moans were driving him insane, thirsty for more. He kept diving his muzzle on her, and licking deeper, ensuring to make her feel him both inside and outside, taking care of her clitoris at every opportunity. He could feel her squirm and try to move, and he'd keep her in place, licking more and more. This was making him harder, and not being able to stroke himself also made him anticipate it more. He felt Shema's orgasm close to coming, and he licked slower but made longer and stronger licks, making sure to get her clit on each stroke. He wanted to bring her right at the edge, and then...

Shema was reaching the very point of no return. She was holding her breath and grabbing tight to the bed sheets when she suddenly felt Shameen pull one of her feet upwards... She barely understood what happened and then she was turned around, with her belly side down. As she was understanding that he had turned her over, she felt his hands grabbing her waist and aligning her butt out on the border of the bed. She then felt his dick lining up against her pussy again and she felt him entering as he started to push inwards. She bit her lip and left out another moan, one of surprise, excitement, and lustful desire at the same time. She felt his penetration more intense, as the shape of his dick was now caressing other parts inside. Her orgasm was now coming back from her surprise, and every movement felt amplified by her position and the adrenaline of being moved around dominantly.

Shameen couldn't hold it anymore. As his orgasm started building up again he started thrusting harder and faster, enjoying the sight of his wife's ass slapping against his pelvis, her small teardrop-shaped tail bumping against his belly. He kept on pushing and pulling, ensuring to move thoroughly inside her, spreading her pussy walls with every stroke. His breath started getting shallow and his thrusts deeper and shorter.

Shema was at her limit. She lowered her head onto the bed mattress and yelling into it, she came loudly. Her orgasm would have made her shake all over the bed, but being held by Shameen, only her legs moved around, as he kept humping her and extending the orgasm into pure pleasure. She experienced strong spasms, feeling surges of ecstasy which got multiplied by the excitement as he kept fucking her deep inside.

This sight was enough to drive Shameen over the edge. He pushed a few more times and felt the release. As he came into her, he shot multiple jets of cum inside her, and he pushed deeper into her warm soft pussy. After a few cumshots being milked by Shema's orgasm, he felt his excitement subsiding and loosened his grip a bit.

Shameen turned his grasp into a soft caress and softly dropped his weight on top of Shema. Laying on top of her, he was catching his breath as they were both tired and sweaty. And drunk. And satisfied.

"I... love... you", Shema was able to muster between tired breaths.

"I love you too", he answered, hugging her.

? ?

After cleaning themselves up and cuddling in bed, they quickly fell asleep together, with smiles on their faces and a renewed sense of romanticism. This day was not only an escapade but another chance of getting to know each other better.

Shema woke up early in the morning after a good night's sleep, with renewed energies. With a soft kiss on Shameen's forehead, she woke him up too. They silently stared at each other for a moment, acknowledging the memories of last night. This wasn't just another morning waking up, but a morning of waking together and enjoying each other's company differently.

It was sad that this getaway was close to ending, but they were happy that it had happened. They needed more time to themselves, and now they know how much they required it. They felt closer, they remembered why they fell in love with each other in the first place. They were glad that, among all Kattas, they had been chosen to be together.

Smiles renewed, they agreed to come back home and do this vacationing again soon. After all, there would always be more business trips as excuses to enjoy themselves. They knew that with each romantic trip, they get to experience more of each other.

Shameen kissed Shema's forehead and looked into her eyes.

"We'll do this again, won't we?", he asked with a tender look.

"We should. And we will", answered Shema. She didn't want this moment to end, but instead, she would make sure it happened again.